Mattress-tufting machine.



. j PATBNTED APR. 18, 1905. G. W. BENT. MATTRESS TUFTING MACHINE.

' APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1903.

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PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. Gr W. BENT.

MATTRESS TUFTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 5. 1903.

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. PATENTED APR. 18, 1905. G. W. BENT. MATTRESS TUPTING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED NOV- 5. 1903.

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Witnesses.

Patented April 18, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. BENT, OF HYDEPARK, MASSACHUSETTS.

MATTRESS-TUFTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 787,555, dated April 18, 1905.

Application filed November 5,1903. Serial No. 179,938.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. BENT, a citizen of the United States, residing in Hydepark, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Mattress-Tufting Machines, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings representing like parts.

This invention relates to an apparatus for tufting mattresses, and has for its object to provide a simple and efficient apparatus with which a maximum number of mattresses may be tufted in a minimum time. For this purpose I employ a support or bed upon which the mattress to be tufted is placed and a needle-carrier comprising a rigid frame and intermediate bars adjustably secured to said rigid frame, one of which parts is bodily movable toward the other, and a plurality of needles secured to the intermediate bars of said carrier at different points and arranged thereon to penetrate the mattress at different points in its surface, which are distributed over the surface of said mattress in different rows and out of line with each other, so that the mattress may be penetrated by all the needles in one operation. In the present instance the needle-carrier is moved toward and away from the support or bed for the mattress, which also is preferably bodily movable for a purpose, as will be described, and the needle-carrier and itsneedles are adjustable to enable mattresses of different sizes to be tufted by a single apparatus. These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of apparatus embodying this invention ;-Fig. 2, a side elevation of the apparatus, showing the needles penetrating through the mattress; Fig. 3, a plan view of the apparatus U shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a section and plan taken on the line 4 4, Fig. 1; Fig. 5, a crosssection on the line 5 5, Fig. 1; Fig. 6, an enlarged sectional detail on the line 6 6, Fig. 4;

line 7 7, Fig. 4; and Figs. 8 and 9, details to be referred to.

In accordance with this invention the mattress a to be tufted is placed upon a bed or support, which is of suitable construction to support the mattress and yet permit the needles Z) to pass through it and into and through the mattress a. In the present instance I have shown one construction of bed suitable for this purpose, which is composed of substantially horizontal side bars or pieces 0, (see Figs. 1 and 5,) upright end pieces d, longitudinally-extended slats or bars 6, separated from one another, and cross bars or rods f, secured to and supported by the slats e, and, as herein shown, said rods are passed throu h suitable eyes g, fastened to the slats e. T e side bars 0 may have secured to them later ally-projecting edge pieces h. The bed or support for the mattress a is thus provided with an open bottom, and it is also provided with a similarly-constructed top, (see Fig. 3,) which is movable, and in the present instance is divided longitudinally into two halves or parts, each composed, as shown, of longitudinally extended slats or bars 71, hinged or otherwise pivotally secured, as at to an end'piece d, the said slats having on their under side suitable eyes k, (see Fig. 5,) through which are extended cross-rods Z, the slats i having secured to their upper side near their free ends cross-bars m, which project beyond the sides of the cover or top for a purpose, as will be described. The movable top for the bed is adapted to be closed and locked in any suitable manner to practically form a closed cage within which the mattress a is confined while being tufted.

In the present instance I have shown one form of locking device, which consists of a bar or piece n, (see Fig. 8,) provided at its upper end with a cross-pin 0, which is adapted to rest upon the projecting ends of the crossbars m, the lower end of said locking-bars being tapered to engage bent catches p, pivotally secured to the side bars 0 of the bed.

The locking-bar n is connected with the bed-bottom by a flexible connection or cord Fig. 7, an enlarged sectional detail on the l g, which is passed over the top of the bar n and through a series of holes in the same, as indicated in Fig. 8. This method of attaching the cord to the locking-bar enables the cord to be quickly and easily lengthened or shortened, so as to adjust the locking-bar to mattresses of difierent thickness.

The mattress-supporting bed has cooperating with it a plurality of needles I), which may be arranged singly or in pairs, as herein shown. The needles I) in the present em bodiment of this invention are made movable with relation to the mattress-supporting bed, and they are also preferably made adjustable both longitudinally and transversely with relation to said bed.

In the present instance the needles 1) are arranged in pairs, each pair being detachably secured to a holder (see Fig. 7) by a clamping-piece 12, which is fastened to said holder by a set-screw 13. The holder 10 is mounted to slide on longitudinally-extended a bars 14, herein represented as angle-irons,

which are secured at their ends to cross-bars 1 5 to form therewith one form of frame or carrier for the needles. Asherein represented, the outermost side bars 14 are firmly secured to the end cross-bars 15, as by rivets 16, while the intermediate bars 14 are adjustably secured to the end cross-bars 15, which may be effected as shown in Figs. 4 and 6, wherein the end. cross-bars 15 are represented as composed of two angle-irons, which are separated to leave a slot or space 18 between them, through which projects the shank of a screw or bolt 19, which is provided with ahead 20 above the bar 14 and with a nut 21 below the angleiron cross-bars 14. The screw or bolt 19 may and preferably will have mounted on it washers 22 23, which are located above the bar 14 and below the cross-bar 15. The needle-holders 10 are adj ustably mounted on the longitudinal bars 14, and for this purpose each holder is provided with a slot in its bottom which fits over or embraces the vertical portion of the angle iron or bar 14. The needle-holder may be secured in its adjusted position by a setscrew 25. It will thus be seen that the needle-holders 10 are capable of being adjusted on their supporting-bars 14 and that said bars may be adjusted laterally on the end cross-bars 15, thereby enabling the needles to be arranged or adjusted to mattresses of different sizes. The needle carrier or frame may, if desired, be strengthened at its cen ter by the braces 26, (see Fig. 4,) which are secured to the outermost bars 14, constitut ing the side bars of the needle carrier or frame. The needle carrier or frame may be vertically movable toward and from the mattress support or bed, and this may be accomplished by mechanism, as will now be described. The end cross-bars 15 have secured to them vertically-arranged rack-bars 30, one at each corner of the needle-carrier or frame,

and the said rack-bars at one end of the needle-carrier are engaged by gears 31 on a shaft 32, having bearings, as shown, in uprights 33, attached to side bars 34 of a stationary frame, said side bars being secured at their ends to upright pieces or standards 35, which are shown as connected bytop side bars 36 and by cross or end pieces 37. (See Fig. 4.) The rack-bars at the opposite end of the needle carrier or frame are engaged by gears 38 on a shaft 39, supported by the side bars 34, and the gears 31 are rotated by gears 40 on a shaft 41, supported by the side bars 34 and provided with a sprocket-wheel 42, which is connected by a link chain 43 with a sprocketwheel 44 on the shaft 39, which latter may be provided with a crank or arm 45, by which the shaft 39 may be turned by the op erator to raise and lower the needles and their carrier. In Fig. 1 the needle-carrier is shown in its lowered position and in Fig. 2 in its elevated position. In the machine herein shown as embodying this invention the mattress support or bed is capable of being moved bodily, and for this purpose the end bars or uprights d of said bed have secured to them angleirons 46, to which are fastened cords or chains 47, passed over pulleys 48 and connected to counterweights 49,

which latter are movable in hollow uprights or boxes 50, provided on their side adjacent to the mattress support or bed with openings in which are located upright bars 51,-

separated to form guideways 52, (see Fig. 4,) into which the angle-irons 46 extend, as represented in Figs. 1 and 2. The pulleys 48 are mounted on shafts 53, supported by the upright bars 51, which are connected together by a tie-bar 55. The upright bars 51 may extend the length of the boxes and may have secured to them at opposite sides of the guideway 52 angle-irons 57, to which may be pivoted latches or dogs 58, (see Fi s. 1, 2, and 9,) which are adapted to enga e t 1e upper surface of the angle-irons 46 an lock the mattress support or bed in its lowered position. The mattress support or bed may rest upon uprights 59, secured to or forming part of the end pieces 37 of the stationary frame within which the needle-carrier is located. The uprights 51 may have pivoted to them levers 60, which are designed to lock the two parts of the top of the mattress sup port or bed in their open position, said levers being normally held in position to be engaged by said top pieces by springs 61.

In operation with the apparatus herein shown the mattress to be tufted is placed on its support or bed and the cover or movable top thereof is then closed and fastened by the locking devices 11. 0, as represented in Fig. 1. The operator may then turn .the crank or arm 45 from the position shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2, which moves the needles toward and through the mattress and into substantially the position represented in Fig. 2, in which position the eyes 63 in the needles are above the upper surface of the mattress. The operator may then thread each needle, if single needles are used, or, as in the present instance, each group or pair of needles is threaded with a predetermined length or piece 64 of twine, cord, or other suitable material, (see Fig. 3,) and may place a tuft 65 of leather or other suitable material on the mattress between the needles of each pair, as represented in Fig. 3. When all or the desired number of the needles havebeen threaded, the operator turns the crank or arm from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 1, thereby lowering the needles and Withdrawing them from the mattress, the said needles carrying the free ends of the thread 64 with them until in the downward. movement of the needles the free ends of the threads are drawn out of the eyes of the needles and are left projecting below the mattress. The operator may then tie the free end of each thread, and to accomplish this conveniently the mattress support or bed is unlocked to permit the counterweights 49 to elevate the same. After the threads have been tied as described the mattress may be removed from its bed and subsequently finished in the manner now commonly practiced.

I have herein shown one construction of apparatus embodying this invention; but I do not desire to limit my invention to the particular construction shown. It is to be observed that the needles are secured to the carrier or frame at different points, so that they are distributed over the said carrier or frame in positions out of line with one another and corres onding to the places in the mattress where t e tufts are to be and that the mattress is practically tufted in one oporation.

I claim 1. In an apparatus of the character described, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress, a needle-carrier movable toward and from said bed or support and comprising a frame provided with intermediate bars adjustably secured to said frame, needles adjustably secured to the said intermediate bars of said carrier, and means to move said carrier toward said bed or support, substantially as described.

2. In an ap aratus of the character described, in com ination, a bed or support for the mattress, a plurality of needles cooper' ating therewith, a carrier for said needles comprising side and end bars and intermediate bars adjustably secured to said end bars, holders for said needles adjustably secured tosaid intermediate bars, rack-bars secured to said carrier, and gearing in mesh with said rack-bars to raise and lower said carrier, substantially as described.

3. In an apparatus of the character de scribed, in combination, a bed or support for the mattress comprising bars separated from one another, and a needle-carrier comprising side and end bars and intermediate bars, one of said parts being bodily movable with relation to the other, said intermediate bars being arranged out of line with the bars comprising the bed and in line with the spaces between said bars comprising the bed, and a plurality of needles adjustably secured to the intermediate bars of said carrier.

4. In an apparatus of the character de- 

